This invention relates to a high temperature and pressure treating process for tobacco and more particularly to a process to improve the smoking quality and mechanical properties of a reconstituted tobacco sheet by steam exploded tobacco.
In the manufacture of smoking articles, such as cigarettes, pipe tobacco and the like, a substantial portion of the tobacco which has been processed for use in the smoking articles are found to be unsuitable for use because of their physical size or undesirable taste properties. For example, tobacco stems and tobacco fines from manufacturing processes are unsuitable for use in the manufacturing of these smoking articles. Since the stems and fines represent a substantial amount of raw material investment, processes have been developed to further process these stems and fines into products such as reconstituted tobacco sheets which are then useable in relatively large amounts in a mixture with acceptable processed tobacco leaf. In the processing of reconstituted tobacco some of the components within the stems and fines are solubilized and separated from the tobacco solids. These solubilized components are either discarded or a portion thereof is re-introduced at a later stage into the processing of reconstituted tobacco sheets. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,375 to Denier et al teaches a process for using flavor compounds in tobacco, such as ammonia, to produce a tobacco product which may be utilized in reconstituted tobacco sheets.